Auslen Challenge Celebration, May 2013

Auslen Challenge Celebration, May 2013

Over 250 current and former proton patients, spouses, and friends filled the Wong Kerlee International Conference Center at Loma Linda University Health on Wednesday evening, May 22, 2013, to celebrate the power of the proton beam and acknowldege the success of the Auslen Challenge.

Several years prior, the Brotherhood of the Balloon Fund was initiated. This fund had been stimulated by a generous donation from Chuck Kubicki, a BOB member and former proton patient from Cincinnati, Ohio. The fund grew over the years until the estate of Judge Auslen (former BOB member and proton patient) gave it another stimulus by providing a challenge grant of $340,000. With that stimulus, the Proton Advisory Council at LLUCC set the goal of completing the initial naming amount of $1.5 million in 2013. This is the threshold level that Loma Linda University uses to officially establish a named chair. The Proton Advisory Council was delighted that, with the success of the Auslen Challenge, the goal was reached and the initial funding for a chair was official.

With this news in hand, Chuck Kubicki announced to the Loma Linda University Board of Trustees that the University had decided to name this new chair after BOB founder, Bob Marckini. This was in recognition of the amazing work he has done to promote proton treatment and research at Loma Linda University Cancer Center. So the BOB fund became the Robert J. Marckini Chair.

Below are some photos from the celebration of the success of the Auslen Challenge.